January 28, 2003

Division I Coaching Report

Jan. 28, 2003

By Steve Richardson

Last spring when Oklahoma was headed to the Final Four, Sooners' eighth-year assistant coach Ray Lopes was a beneficiary of the run. He was getting calls from such schools as DePaul, Oregon State, Fresno State and Bosie State looking for new head coaches.

It didn't take long for Lopes to take the Fresno State job. It was a natural fit because he been an assistant coach for Kelvin Sampson one season at Washington State and had other recruiting and playing ties in the West.

Nine months later, the fit looks even better.

Lopes won his four Western Athletic Conference games and 11 of his first 13 games as a head coach before losing at Hawaii on Jan. 13. The Bulldogs then won two more road games at SMU and at Louisiana Tech during a road trip which covered 8,465 miles.

Entering a two-game home-stand on Jan. 23 against Hawaii and San Jose State, Fresno State (13-3 overall and 6-1 in league play) led the WAC. The Bulldogs aren't an overpowering group. But they are rebounding, playing defense and listening to Lopes, who is replacing a legend, the retired Jerry Tarkanian.

Tarkanian still sits in the stands at home games at Selland Arena and watches the 40-year-old Lopes do the work. The NCAA has investigated alleged misdeeds during Tark's tenure and could render a penalty by the end of January.

Despite those distractions, Lopes has keep the team focused during a favorable opening WAC schedule (first four games were home) and mimicked Sampson's style.

"They play exactly like Oklahoma," Washington State coach Paul Graham said. "They have good inside guys, who are tough minded. And they have a lot of the same offensive system. They mimic Oklahoma."

Fresno State led the WAC in scoring defense and ranked second in steals and rebounding.

"Kelvin Sampson has a heavy influence on me," Lopes said earlier this week. "A lot things we do are very similar....That's the basic philosophy from which I operate. I don't think we do it as well as Oklahoma. But rebounding, defense and giving maximum effort every day....We put people into roles and have some discipline."

Last season, Sampson had to convince two talented players, Jason Detrick and Daryan Selvy, to come off the bench and fit into roles on the way to the Final Four. And this season, Lopes has had to convince 6-9 senior forward Hiram Fuller to come off the bench. Last week, Fuller was named the WAC Player of the Week for his role in Fresno State's victories over Tulsa and Rice last week.

"He (Fuller) has really bought in and accepted his role," Lopes said. "It is not easy to come off the bench as a senior. We have three starters (at two inside positions) with Noel Felix, Jonathan Woods and Fuller. And unfortunately Fuller is the one who has to come off the bench."

That trio provides 45 percent of the team's offense, which, like Oklahoma, usually has three guards on the floor at one time.The roles are pretty simple on this Fresno State team.

At Oklahoma, Lopes was known as a no nonsense assistant coach. His nickname was Joe Friday. "Just the facts, ma'am," said Sampson, alluding to the Dragnet television series police sergeant played by Jack Webb. Lopes seldom showed emotion, except for one outburst at halftime of the Big 12 Tournament title game in 2001 against Texas when he yelled at the team and spurred them on to a comeback victory.

"Ray had been a big part of it," Sampson said of building the OU program. "You are sad to see your coach go. Your program always takes a hit. But on the other hand I was happy for him. He gave me nine great years and he was so loyal. Ray always had my back."

And Lopes has taken the opportunity and made the most of it. "They are very explosive and quick and can block shots," Boise State coach Greg Graham said. "Ray does a good job of mixing it up with the inside and outside game."

Lopes has learned one thing during his first-year as a head coach. He suffered a broken hand in November when he was participating in a drill with California transfer guard Shantay Legans, who is sitting out this season at Fresno State.

"Now, I am thinking I was not a very smart coach because I was participating too much in team drills," Lopes said. "I broke a bone in my hand trying to deflect a ball off a pass "I have nine screws and a little plate in my hand the rest of my life. "I have learned to keep the whistle in my mouth and my butt off the floor."

When Phelan Retires...
Mount St. Mary's coach Jim Phelan will retire after this season, his 49th at the school. That will leave Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim as the coach with the most current longevity at his school in Division I (27 consecutive seasons, including this season.)

Jerry Steele has been at High Point 31 straight seasons, but High Point only recently moved up to Division I. And Davey Whitney also has coached 27 seasons at Alcorn State, but not consecutively.

Boeheim, 58, who has taken the Orangemen to post-season play in 25 of his 26 years and never suffered a losing season, also ranks tied for third all-time in career 20-victory seasons behind North Carolina's Dean Smith (30) and Jerry Tarkanian's (29 achieved at Long Beach State, UNLV and Fresno State.) Entering this season, Boeheim had 24 20-victory seasons, tied with Arizona's Lute Olson and Texas Tech's Bob Knight.

Defensively Speaking
When Coach Ben Howland took over the Pittsburgh program in 1999, he introduced a new toughness on defense.

Since giving up 67 points a game in Howland's first season, 1999-2000 (13-15 record), Pittsburgh's record has steadily improved as its defense has gotten better. The Panthers have led the Big East Conference in scoring defense the past two seasons.

In 2000-01, the Panthers gave up 65.3 ppg on the way to a 19-14 mark. Last season teams averaged only 60.9 ppg against the Panthers, who finished 29-6 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.

And this season, Pittsburgh has held the opposition to only 57.1 ppg and a four-year-low 36.4 shooting percentage.

When holding teams under 60 points during the Howland era, the Panthers are 42-1. No wonder there are signs in Pittsburgh predicting the Panthers will make the Final Four April 5 and 7 in New Orleans.

Short Shots
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski claimed his 575th victory at Duke earlier this month against Wake Forest. And he was going for his 650th victory overall against North Carolina State on Jan. 22. Whenever Coach K wins his next game, will become the 21st coach in Division I history to post 650 career victories ... Sharing the Kohl Center with hockey and women's basketball is no big deal to Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan. Said Ryan: "I was not an assistant coach with a silver spoon in my mouth in one of those program where you didn't have to share. I was at the Division III level."...Southern (La.) coach Ben Jobe is at his seventh school. That ties an NCAA record held by two other coaches, Elmer Ripley and Bob Vanatta, neither of whom are active.